Considerable thought has been applied in conceiving the children’s floor at Gucci’s flagship store at Via Montenapoleone 5/7 in Milan. Gucci Design Director Alessandro Michele who has conceived this space, presents the aesthetic universe of the House as if seen through the eyes of a child. Taking Michele’s vision for Gucci as its foundation, a vision which in any case is eclectic and playful and makes use of multi-coloured patterns and quirky motifs taken from the world of flora and fauna, the children’s room amplifies this to create a fabled environment.
Entering the space, it is as if you are walking into a giant playroom decorated by a child whose imagination has been allowed to run wild: door knockers feature lion’s heads, trunks have fawn’s legs, wooden pineapples stand proud as decorative elements, lion’s paws peep out from beneath pieces of furniture and silver six-pointed stars adorn walls and display cases and the frames around mirrors; and everywhere there is a riot of colour and pattern.
Pistachio-coloured carpets combine with navy-and-white striped wallpaper and vichy-patterned yellow-and-white wallpaper; upholstery features more vichy yellow-and-white checks, the House herbarium print in red and black, and sky-blue and pale-pink satin; wooden decorative elements are in brushed lacquered oak in white, cherry red, blue and hazel; while a changing room has a curtain in red jacquard floral fabric. The effect is of a playful, random scattering of brightly-coloured pieces of fabric and wallpaper, a fun and chaotic combination of elements to catch the eye and lift the spirits.
Display cases look like the wardrobes and chests you might find in a child’s fantasy bedroom, while small-scale tailor’s dummy mannequins in coloured velvet populate the space. There is a surreal, dream-like mood here, created by contrasting scales, mysterious panelled doors and cosy, curtained changing rooms.
